Yesterday, two big rigs in Californiacrashed into each other. This would be unremarkable, had one of the trucks not been carrying 5,000 live chickens. At around 2 a.m., on Interstate 80 near Vacaville, the driver of the chicken-laden big rig began to fall asleep. He began to swerve down the freeway at night. The driver of a big rig who had pulled off the road to inspect a mechanical problem saw the truck swerving, approaching.

He radioed the driver of the chicken truck to wake him. Can you imagine holding the radio, shouting into the mouthpiece, knowing that if you don't wake the man towing chickens he'll crash into you? You're helpless.

The poultry chauffeur clipped the other big rig, causing one of the chicken trailers to jackknife. Approximately 2,500 chickens were spilled onto the road. Some survived.